A few days ago, I felt an urge to write an essay dedicated to Amelia Watson. It’s something I’ve been doing for all my favorite VTubers over the past few years—using my humble platform to celebrate these talented individuals that I’ve grown to adore. However, between Breaking Dimensions, Anime NYC, a whole host of big hololive happenings in September, and me just being busy in general, I had decided to wait. 

I mistakenly thought I could take my sweet time penning a post dedicated to an active, ongoing career.

Today, Amelia (Ame to fans) has announced that she will be concluding her streaming, participation in events, and periodic merchandise. While something akin to a graduation (i.e. an idol/VTuber leaving a company on relatively good terms), it is not actually one. In fact, Ame herself has mentioned in a Youtube comment that she might still show up on occasion, though this does not count as a transition to staff.

So here we are. 

The Story of Myth

Let’s rewind to September of 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and with many people around the world staying at home to prevent the spread of the virus. It was in this environment that the Japanese VTuber agency hololive announced their first English generation: Myth. At a time when so many were cooped up at home and in need of some joy, when the ability to even see other human beings in person came at a real risk to one’s life, Myth breathed life into people. The success they found might very well be forever unmatched. 

Four of that first EN generation were shown to carry ancient and supernatural motifs—Calliope Mori the grim reaper, Takanashi Kiara the phoenix, Ninomae Ina’nis the eldritch priestess, and Gawr Gura the Atlantean shark. The fifth was Amelia Watson, a “mere” human detective investigating the others. Not only did she stand out as unusual in terms of her theming, but she was the last to officially debut. And from the very beginning, it was clear that she was bringing something unorthodox. Whether it was starting off with a tongue-in-cheek joke about actually being British but needing to put on a “fake” accent, or her inducing “hallucinations” in the audience through an injection of her “Watson Concoction,” Ame’s wit and imagination were on display.

The AmeWay

Ame didn’t reveal her entire character concept at debut: She’s not just a detective but also a time traveler. In the severe extenuating circumstances of a global pandemic, she began to express this facet by playing around with 3D models, VRChat, and other interesting software and technology. As fan works of Ame poured in, she commissioned artists to make variations of her: a chibi (that went on to become a mascot of hololive called “Smol Ame”), a bee, a mountain of muscles, and even recently a hand puppet.

Ame is often referred to as “creative,” and while that’s certainly true, a more detailed description would be that she pushes the boundaries of what is possible in any space she’s in through a combination of out-of-the-box thinking and sheer stubbornness. Sometimes it’s in her approach to video games. Just yesterday, she started playing on hololive’s Grand Theft Auto Online server, where she successfully got past a fence on her unicycle by riding downhill to build up momentum and crash through. During Part 1 of the hololive Minecraft roleplaying event “Enigmatic Recollection,” she could be seen trying to glitch the block mechanics to create shortcuts for herself, while also being one half of the wild “Jyonathan and Gonathan” romance story with Gigi Murin that captivated fans. Other times, it’s through her exploration of the technical aspects of VTubing. Fans call this the “AmeWay,” and it speaks to the notion that if two paths diverged in the woods, Ame would cut her way through the trees in the middle.

During that dark period when Japan was locked down and travel into the country was impossible, Ame found a way to give her and the other Myth girls their own “3D event” of sorts through VRChat, and by giving everyone a “Smol” model of their own to pilot. 

Even later down the line, as the world opened up, Ame continued to push the envelope. For Myth’s 2nd anniversary, Ame set up a special 360 degree view where fans could move their phones around to explore the 3D space with her and the other girls.

One of Ame’s strengths is her interest in technology—even building her own 3D studio at home—and she provided a lot of behind-the-scenes support for her fellow talents, both peers and later generations alike. It wasn’t uncommon to hear other EN members mention her giving them computer tips or advice on what equipment to buy, or to catch a glimpse of her acting as the cameraperson in VRChat streams. Even when she wasn’t on screen, her presence could be felt.

The Road to Idol Ame

If there was one thing I really missed while staying at home during the pandemic, it was the ability to go out for karaoke. So when I started seeing that VTubers do their own karaoke sessions, I would tune in. I don’t know if Ame’s was the first, but it’s one that sticks out in my memory in a big way.

In that first karaoke stream, one thing was apparent: In a VTuber generation filled with musically inclined peers, Ame was by far the weakest singer. Constantly off-key and unable to keep the rhythm, Ame could not carry a tune at all.

It was beautiful.

For those who don’t karaoke, one thing that might be hard to understand is that singing ability doesn’t matter all that much—at least around good people. It’s about finding songs that you enjoy, giving it your best shot even if you sound like ass (speaking from personal experience here), and just having a good time with others. And if someone’s got pipes, that’s cool too—karaoke isn’t about hating. What Ame brought to that singing stream, and all subsequent ones, was that “karaoke with friends” energy. And in 2020, that energy was all the more powerful.

That spirit alone would have been enough to make me a fan, but then she hit me personally deep in my soul by singing Sixpence None the Richer’s “Kiss Me,” a favorite song from my childhood. The fact that it would become one of her go-to songs over the past four years is something I’m grateful for. And if that’s where Ame’s musical performance journey ended, I would have been satisfied. But that’s not the whole story.

Ame kept singing over the months and years, and bit by bit, something happened. She started hitting those notes a little more cleanly. Her voice wouldn’t squeak as much. She was actually improving! And while Ame had set up a bleeding-ear emote as a self-deprecating joke, fans eventually stopped using it entirely.

In the time since that first karaoke session, so much has happened. Ame got to appear on the big stage with her official 3D model at 3rd fes, putting on a memorable cover of the cute and bizarre “Puru Puru Pururin” from Welcome to the NHK! She released her own original song, “Chiku Taku” (accompanied by a video game based on it), and then performed it at two separate live events, including the first EN concert. The latter was even a ska rendition that reflected her own musical tastes, which she accompanied by skanking on stage. She had her official 3D showcase, where she got to show off her detective’s office, do cartwheels, and collaborate in person with Japanese hololive members like Haachama and Yozora Mel. At 5th fes, Ame upped her choreography game too. 

Just recently, her “IDOL” duet with Gura was one of the absolute highlights of last month’s Breaking Dimensions concert. And in their recent 4th anniversary online concert, she was able to keep up well with the other strong singers of her generation and help make “The Show Goes On” the best Myth group song ever. Each step of the way was evidence of her improvements as a performer, and while she never embraced the shining lights, that’s also why she embodied the “idol journey” so thoroughly.

The Hiccup

I want to just mention this brief thing that has little to do with achievements and interests, but is inextricable from Ame’s story. There are a lot of unique things about her, but perhaps none are more iconic than her chronic hiccups that can often be heard on her streams. It’s not clear if it’s a hiccup exactly or something else, but whatever it actually is, the result is something that is identifiably Ame. What’s more, unlike a particular way of talking or laughing, it pretty much can’t be replicated. Even in this simple way, there will never be another Amelia Watson.

The Closing of a Chapter

While hololive isn’t a piece of fiction in the traditional sense, Amelia Watson is often positioned in fan works and headcanons as the “protagonist” of Myth and possibly hololive EN as a whole. A lot of it has to do with her motif as a completely human detective (albeit one unbound by time), but I think it’s also because she also comes across as very human in a different sense. She’s not anywhere near the best singer or dancer, she doesn’t have that non-stop gift of gab that others might, and while she’s definitely one of the strongest gamers, it’s not her main focus either. But Ame has ingenuity, and in a way, she’s sort of like the Batman of hololive.

I have a tendency to like creators, VTuber or otherwise, who experiment and expand the range of what is considered “possible.” That’s where Ame has thrived and why I became so fond of her, and countless others feel the same way. It’s hard to overstate just how much of an influence her tinkering and her ideas have had on the VTubing scene, especially in the English sphere. There has been a constant outpouring of love from other VTubers, many of whom are citing her as a real inspiration—especially for those who wanted to do something different than the established norm. 

Personally, the timing of Ame’s announcement is kind of funny. Until literally last month, I didn’t own that much of her merch. Now, as she begins her retreat from the spotlight, I find myself coincidentally with more than I ever expected: a desk mat, figures, keychains, and so on. I even just uploaded a video of her to my Youtube—one of only two VTuber clips on my entire channel.

One thing I haven’t done is try to draw her. After all, I had assumed there was plenty of time to get around it. Maybe I need to change that.

In a way, we Teamates and Investigators are very lucky. Not only did we get four years of one of the best to ever do it, but the fact that this isn’t a full-on graduation means there will likely be opportunities to reunite with her in this familiar form. And no matter what, the thing that really matters is that the person behind the virtual avatar can find happiness in whatever form it takes. 

(And there’s always the off chance we might see her without her coat in 3D.)